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Jonathan Ashworth MP, Shadow Secretary of Health, has today written to the Prime Minister to ask for…

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Shadow Secretary of Health, has today written to the Prime Minister to ask for clarity regarding funding arrangements for social care at Surrey County Council.

The full text of the letter is below.

The Prime Minister

10 Downing Street

London SW1A 2AA

 

Prime Minister,

I am writing to you in light of today’s revelations about text messages sent by the leader of Surrey County Council which suggest that the Government has agreed to funding arrangements for social care that allow the cancellation of a proposed referendum on a council tax increase in this Council.

Given your failure to provide clarity on the issue when asked in the Chamber today, and bearing in mind the great importance of this issue given the crisis faced by social care in our country, I am hereby requesting for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to make an urgent statement to the House tomorrow.

This news has caused considerable embarrassment to the Government, in particular the Secretary of State for Health and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. To rule out any suggestions of wrongdoing, the Government now needs to confirm that no special deal has been offered or granted to Surrey County Council.

 I believe that the British public deserve full transparency on the issue. In the public interest, I therefore ask you to publish immediately and without delay;

1. The memorandum of understanding referenced in the text messages sent by the leader of Surrey County Council;

2. All text message correspondence between Surrey County Council and Government officials in the Cabinet Office, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department of Health, and the Treasury regarding social care funding and/or the proposed referendum;

3. All written or electronic correspondence between Surrey County Council and Government officials in the Cabinet Office, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department of Health, and the Treasury regarding social care funding and/or the proposed referendum;

4. Details and minutes of all meetings held between Surrey County Council and Government officials in the Cabinet Office, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department of Health, and the Treasury regarding social care funding and/or the proposed referendum.

Additionally, as the Prime Minister knows the Ministerial Code requires holders of public office to “act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner” and that “information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for doing so”. I am therefore asking you to confirm that any misconduct by Ministers related to this matter will be investigated and treated as a breach of the Ministerial Code.

Given the questions these news raise about proper conduct and transparency of Government policy-making, I am sending a copy of this letter to the Director General of the Propriety and Ethics Team. I will also be publishing this letter.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Ashworth MP

cc. Sue Gray, Director General, Propriety and Ethics Team and Head of Private Offices Group

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Labour • • •

News story: Animal medicines prosecution: Mr Murray McGregor

Details of the prosecution of Mr Murray McGregor. Published in February 2017.

On 18th January 2017 at Perth Sherif Court, Mr Murray McGregor plead guilty to importing an unauthorised veterinary medicinal product, possession of an unauthorised veterinary medicinal product and that he did administer an unauthorised veterinary medicine under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2008 and 2009.

These charges related to the product Terramycin 100MR which was administered to Mr McGregor’s bee hives.

On 1st February 2017 at Perth Sherif Court, Mr Murray McGregor was fined £2500, reduced by a third from £3750 for an early plea.

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HM Government • • •

Press release: New Northumberland fish passes open up stream

Two new fish passes on a Northumberland stream are giving salmon and sea trout easier access to 22km of watercourse.

The work by the Environment Agency and Northumberland Rivers Trust at South Low, in north Northumberland near Berwick, is making it easier for fish to migrate and spawn.

Two large weirs were preventing fish movement upstream, but both weirs have been changed to make it easier for sea trout and salmon to make their way to their spawning grounds.

It follows work to make it easier for fish to pass through Environment Agency tidal gates at the coast, where the sea meets the stream.

Since then, work has been taking place to make it easier for fish to move further upstream.

Upstream weir before it was altered to make it easier for fish migration The new upstream fish pass after alterations were made to the weir to make it into a rock pass

Easier for fish

Robbie Stevenson, Fisheries Technical Officer with the Environment Agency, said:

We’ve worked closely with partners to carry out a lot of positive work in this area, to look at issues which might be having an impact on fish populations.

The alterations to the weirs will open up 22km of watercourse for fish and make it far easier for them to travel upstream.

We’ve worked really hard together with our partners over the years to make dramatic improvements to water quality.

But there is always more we can do and this project at South Low is the sort of work which is taking place right across the North East and the country to protect and enhance our rivers and streams.

The £100,000 project has been part funded by the Environment Agency, supplemented by private landowner contributions and the work carried out by volunteers.

Important fish passes

Peter Kerr, Director of Northumberland Rivers Trust, who was also designer and project manager for this project, added:

We are delighted to have been able to add these two important fish passes by working in partnership.

The contractors, WL Straughan and Son, did an excellent job in some challenging weather conditions, including the floods following Storm Angus.

After we completed the lower of the passes we saw some big sea trout trying to get past the upper weir, so we are confident that the lower one works well and that there are many migratory fish trying to return to the South Low.

The recent completion of the upper pass will now let these fish access many miles of spawning gravels.

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HM Government • • •

SNP slammed for “unnecessary” tax grab

8 Feb 2017

07 May 2011 MSP pictured in the garden lobby during the MSP registration session. Pic - Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Conservatives have attacked the SNP Government today after it emerged that it will impose the highest taxes in the UK on people – despite having had £185m to spare in its kitty.

The extra cash was only revealed last week when the SNP used it to buy off the Scottish Greens.

​The £125m underspend, plus £60m in the business rates pool is far more than the £108m the Scottish Government says it will collect by setting higher thresholds on income tax than the rest of the UK.

That decision is now set to cost jobs and stymie growth, amid warnings from business leaders that it will put off investors and firms from committing to Scotland.

Finance spokesman Murdo Fraser said: 

“Throughout this entire budget process, Derek Mackay has tried to hide the facts from taxpayers in Scotland. Now we know why.

“It turns out Mr Mackay had more than enough money to pay for his budget and pass on a tax break to working families. Yet he opted instead to keep the cash in his back pocket in order to buy off the Greens.

“The SNP could easily have turned to us for support in giving taxpayers a break. But Nicola Sturgeon is a First Minister who would rather stitch up a deal with her independence supporters in the Green party than give taxpayers a break.

“We are about to become the highest taxed part of the UK. Now we know: it is not just bad government, and bad policy – but it is utterly unnecessary as well.”

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Scottish Conservatives • •

Press release: Statement from Priti Patel on UN Yemen appeal

International Development Secretary comments on the launch of the United Nations 2017 funding appeal for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

The United Nations has today (8th February) launched an appeal for US$2.1 billion to provide life-saving assistance to 12 million people in Yemen in 2017.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:

Today, the UN has launched its new humanitarian plan for Yemen, setting out the steps it will take to save lives in 2017 and the funding it requires to be able to do that.

Last year, UK aid ensured life-saving food, medical supplies, clean water and emergency shelter reached more than one million Yemenis in desperate need across the country and we will once again be supporting this new appeal.

At the UN General Assembly last September, the UK Government secured more than $100 million [approximately £80 million] in new funding for Yemen and a commitment from UN agencies to strengthen their response to the crisis. As the UN launches its new appeal today, we will continue to push donors and partners alike to step up their efforts and to keep pace with the UK response.

It is imperative that all parties to the conflict ensure lifesaving assistance can get through and aid agencies get the unfettered access they require. At the same time, the international community must provide the UN with the funding it is calling for along with the political pressure to ensure aid reaches those who need it.

Notes to editors

  1. More detail on the UN appeal can be seen here: http://reliefweb.int/report/yemen/yemen-un-and-partners-appeal-21-bln-provide-life-saving-assistance-12-million-people
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HM Government • • •